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Dog-friendly taproom looks to energize Old Lafayette

Romero's K9 Social Club to occupy long-dormant site of old Snarfburger

By Anthony Hahn

Staff Writer

Posted:
06/25/2016 02:09:45 PM MDT

Romero's K9 Social Club will open in August as a dog park and bar. (Anthony Hahn / Hometown Weekly Staff)

In the age of craft beers and micro-brewing, bars in Boulder County have become oversaturated with a once rare product — leaving owners to search for more ways to appeal to their customer base.

From Denver, and now to east Boulder County, bar owners Maria Redondo and Lenny Torres are hoping that mixing drinking and dogs is good for business, especially in Denver, which surveys rank among the country's top dog-friendliest cities.

Now, Boulder County dogs and their owners can visit Lafayette's Romero's K9 Social Club — an on-premise craft beer bar and lounge dedicated to creating an ideal atmosphere for patrons to enjoy the company of their furry friends alongside an assortment of snacks and beverages.

The membership-based dog park is attached to a craft beer and wine bar. Memberships in the dog park will range from daily, monthly and yearly passes. But without one, citizens still are invited to come by for a drink.

"While the K9 Social Club is certainly a dog-lover's dream," said Maria Redondo, one of the owners, "it will offer a top-tier craft selection that we think will bring in as many folks for the beer as it does for the barks."

The taproom offers a fenced outdoor space equivalent to a small dog park, with both indoor and outdoor seating.

"We particularly chose Lafayette because we really liked the urban renewal project," she said. "We want to be a place that promotes community, and we felt that Lafayette was very welcoming to us and we could be a part of the family."

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Romero's will operate Monday through Thursday from 3 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.

Together, Redondo and Torres have more than 15 years of hospitality experience, with 10 of those years being in the craft beverage industry.

Torres comes from a background in account management, working with speciality craft beverage wholesalers. Prior to that, he was the beverage manager for an independently owned farm-to-table restaurant that focused exclusively on artisan beer and wine.

Redondo comes directly from an opening coordinator and general management role for one of the largest and fastest-growing craft beverage franchises. She spent two years traveling to open new World of Beer tavern locations.

"We first came up with the idea a couple of years ago," said Redondo. "We always knew that we wanted to bring like-minded people together. People who appreciated high-end beers and a love for dogs."

Lafayette has been home to a growing craft beverage renaissance over the past few years — Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co. has recently moved to expand — a concept the owners hope will tie-in seamlessly with their own concept.

The concept is not particularly new to the Denver-area however. Dogs and their owners can visit at least three local bars that offer a canine play area — the Bark Bar, the Watering Bowl, and the Ugly Dog Sports Bar. Local 46 currently allows dogs on-leash in its backyard beer garden, and the Tavern Uptown plans a remodel that will include a dog patio with a self-service bar.

The business will move into the site at 985 S. Public Road, once home to Karlz-Drive In, Sonic, and Snarfburger, which closed its doors last summer and has been vacant since.

While the site lies in the heart of Lafayette, businesses have had difficulty attracting a consistent customer base, something Redondo and Torres hope to remedy.

Eric Franz, service manager at Cooper Automotive, has a view of the building's front door from his garage, and said the location offers a variety of perks.

"I think it's a good location, a business just needs to get in there and stick around," he said. "I think they would make a good addition to the community, they would fit in really nice. Given the history of the location, with a little bit of patience it would be a great thing. They're breathing some new life into the building."

The changeover of businesses in recent years had less to do with the building's location, but reflected a lack of investment from previous owners, he said.

"They changed over because people were expecting immediate results. Ultimately in Old Lafayette, there's a lot of folks coming into town for an occasion and it takes a little bit of time for them to build up their name in the community," Franz said. "They didn't put the time in to let it grow."

Slated to open its doors the first week of August, the business has already attracted support and customers from the city.

"They sound like they understand the community," said Mayor Christine Berg. "Having places like this come to Lafayette really energizes the community for all of us."

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